Tennessee high school renovation will create green campus

Jan 15, 2008

Oak Ridge (Tenn.) High School is undergoing a $55 million renovation that will put it on track to be the first LEED-certified school in the state. School officials have worked with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to make the school more environmentally friendly. A major part of that effort is a 198-well geothermal field installed to 300-foot depths under a soccer field. The system helps to provide cool air in the summer and warm air in the winter.When completed in the summer, the high school will have grown from 270,000 square feet to 382,000 square feet; 200,000 of the total will be renovated space. A new academic wing includes modern science labs, expanded band, chorus and orchestra rooms, a high-tech library, a new cafeteria and gymnasium, and a renovated auditorium.